A survey into the health of Aboriginal children in Western Australia has
revealed they have higher levels of stress than non-Indigenous children.
The Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey's second volume is being
released today and the results show Aboriginal children are exposed to a
greater number of stressful events.
These include imprisonment of a family member, extended periods of
separation, family unemployment or a death.
A co-author of the report, Professor Sven Silburn, says the State
Government now has evidence of what many Indigenous Australians already
suspected.
"They have a disproportionately high burden that they carry in terms of
chronic illnesses, premature deaths and a level of life stress events
impacting on families that's quite beyond the experience of most
non-Aboriginal families," he said. |
